Bush pair named in Heartland team

Wairarapa-Bush utility backs Zeb Aporo and Nick OIson have been included in the New Zealand Heartland rugby team to play a New Zealand Marist XV at Bayer Growers Stadium, Pukekohe, on Saturday, October 15.

Aporo and Olson play their club rugby for East Coast and have demonstrated their versatility on numerous occasions at club and representative level.

Aporo, who will be debuting for the national Heartland side, is a proven performer at halfback and first-five and the same could be said of Olson at wing and fullback. This will be Olson's second appearance for the Heartland side, having made his debut in 2009.

Head coach Grainger Heikell (Poverty Bay), assistant coach Barry Matthews (North Otago) and selector Earle Kirton (Wellington) have named a squad of 22, including eight from Wanganui and also eight who were part of last year's side.

The full Heartland squad is: Forwards: Shaun McDonough (Wanganui), Cole Baldwin (Wanganui), Ngarumu Simpkins (East Coast), Matt Fetu (South Canterbury), Jason Rickard (Mid-Canterbury), Eric Duff (North Otago), Jon Smyth (Wanganui), Aarin Dunster (King Country), Lee Nelmes (Buller), Sione Ngatu (Poverty Bay), John Dempney (Mid Canterbury), Darren Munro (Wanganui). Backs: Andrew Stephens (Buller), Scott Norton (South Canterbury), Zeb Aporo (Wairarapa-Bush), Steelie Koro (Wanganui), Faaitu Tuamoheloa (North Otago), Rusiate Vukula (Wanganui), Sam Scown (Wanganui), Simon Dibben (Wanganui), Jared Trevathan (South Canterbury), Nick Olson (Wairarapa-Bush).

Meanwhile, the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union's council of clubs has had what executive officer Phil Taylor labelled as a "loose discussion" on the format of the club rugby competitions for the 2012 season.

Taylor said no definite proposals were yet on the table but the council of clubs was obviously keen to do anything they could to enhance the quality of club play.

"The challenge is to decide what options best suit our needs and the question of whether we need to make any changes from what we have got now is part of that process," he said.

It would not surprise if a reduction in the number of teams contesting the senior first division competition is part of the formal discussions as that has often been mooted in the past, and has been the subject of growing support during the 2011 season when 10 teams were involved.